Journey for Redemption, Journey to Recovery
by GypsySol
Summary: Following the Fourth Shinobi World War, Sakura is left standing at the gates of Konoha, watching him walk away yet again. She desperately needs to heal the deep seated sorrow that plagues her. Will she see him again? Sometimes the best medicine for the soul is what you find on the road. Rated M for later lemons!
1. Chapter 1

So I finally caught up with the manga! With a cold winter bearing down on me, I had little to do but sit around and search the web and in doing so, I stumbled across my old fanfic account.

If you haven't finished the series: WARNING! This story is full of spoilers as it begins after 699 in the manga.

To be honest, I was kind of displeased with the ending of this iconic series. Although I do agree with the pair-ups (naruxhina & sasuxsaku... I mean, come on guys, it was all there from the start), I must criticize the way Kishimoto went about pairing everyone up (mostly that he took the lazy way out and had it all happen in a huge time gap). That, and the fact that Sakura really doesn't get much of a story line of her own, despite being the main female character in the series. In this respect, I wish Kishimoto had consulted his wife or some other female in his life to get some more incite on the female perspective because the fact that Sasuke eventually just turns around and marries Sakura, without ever truly understanding his impact on her or even really apologizing for it, seems a bit ridiculous.

At the start of the series, I hated Sakura. She was annoying as all fuck and she seemed shallow and ignorant. But honestly, the end of Part I and Part II was pretty great to her character and I like how she grows as a person and shinobi throughout the series. So, I believe she deserves a dope side story that explains how the romantic relationship between her and Sasuke, that results in a child(!), actually begins.

I felt the huge time gap between 699 and 700 would be the perfect setting for a somber but steamy SASUxSAKU story... so here it goes...!

Reviews are always much appreciated.

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"S-Sakura… I.."

"Don't… I need to concentrate."

"I'm sorry…"

She struggled to maintain her composure. Here she sat, leaning over the bloodied bodies of her two closest friends, desperately trying to close the severed tissues that were once their arms.

"Sorry..?" Strange. Despite all they had been through, she hadn't quite expected an apology, albeit she certainly deserved one. "For what?"

"For everything I've done…"

Sakura's body stiffened as she fought to hold back tears. Where would they go from here?

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"I'll see you when I'm back…. and thank you.."

His words rung in her ears and his touch lingered on her forehead as she watched him disappear into the horizon for what seemed like the hundredth time. For all her efforts, she still could not convince him to stay. Even after all these years.

Naruto ambled back towards her, a solemn look adorned his face as his empty right sleeve fluttered in the breeze. She turned her head away to hide the salty tears that were quickly filling her eyes and clouding her vision. She would not shed any more tears for Sasuke; For her recurring loss.

She had endured so much torment and heartache at his hands and yet she loved him more than ever. It was akin to torture. How could she expect to go on like this? After pouring so much effort and emotion into him, he still swiftly brushed her aside, leaving her whimpering at the village gates like lost puppy as his silhouette dwindled with the increasing distance between them.

Sakura abruptly turned on her heels, having decided it was fruitless to stand here and watch him go. After all, she had wounds to tend to and duties to fulfill to keep her mind off of the heaviness she felt bearing down on her chest, as though someone was standing on her heart.

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Four weeks had passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, which nearly claimed the lives of many of those Sakura held dear. The month immediately following the battle was marred with sorrow and loss. Funeral services were held daily as crowds gathered to mourn their fallen companions, flowers in hand and glistening tears streaming down their faces. The casualties were vast across the lands, despite their clear victory.

Sakura had done well so far to avoid much of the heartache that accompanied such loss. Every day she spent hours immersing herself in her work, pacing around the hospital and the tents that had been set up outside to house the overflow of injured shinobi. If there was one thing that could distract her thoughts from the dark-haired, stoic man she let slip through her fingers once again, it was tending to the wounds of those who had fought on the front lines. When she needed a break from the musty, blood-tinged atmosphere that was her workplace, she would venture over to Ino's or Hinata's to comfort her old friends over the loss of their family members.

As things started to die down and patients healed, the village slowly began to return to its usual affairs. Traces of the post-war devastation were internalized and pushed to the back of the collective mind, for the only way to move was forward.

Sakura, however, still felt stuck. Although the gruesome battle she witnessed was becoming a distant nightmarish memory, Sasuke was still fresh in her mind.

He had apologized. He had sounded sincere. But surely he could never understand the immense pain he had caused her. Over the years he had not only rejected her affections, but had also made a number of attempts on her life, seemingly without any hesitation. Part of her wanted to hate him. A despairing voice deep within her cried helplessly, imploring the love she harbored for him to cease, to ease her suffering. But the plea fell upon deaf ears. She had no control. She never did.

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Sakura awoke to light streaming through her bedroom windows, reflecting off the snow that had recently fallen, casting dancing patterns across the floor. It had been months since anyone had heard from Sasuke, since he had embarked on his "journey of redemption". She could only imagine what he was up to.

She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to dispel the lingering image of his face that she had seen in her dreams. Konoha no longer felt like home anymore. She was haunted with memories of him when she walked down the street. She would hear his voice whispering "thank you" in the wind as it rustled through the bare tree branches. This time around, there was no motivation to bring him back, to return him to his former self. He had willingly undergone the transformation himself, in light of his and Naruto's near death experience and the loss of most of his arm. He would come back of his own accord, if ever. She was exhausted from wondering if he would truly return, from sulking over his absence when he was so close to coming back. She tired of gazing beyond the village walls, scanning the horizon for his figure. She felt as though she were beginning to spiral into a deep depression, the wounds he had inflicted, dragging her down.

It was then that Sakura decided. She, too, must leave.

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Just a little introduction for now! Hope you liked it! More to come soon :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! I have returned with the second chapter! I would like to thank the two people that commented on the first chapter, you motivated me to get off my ass and get this second chapter done! Hopefully this one will be more interesting because we're actually starting to get into the story...**

 **Please review! I love to hear what others think of my writing, whether it be praise or criticism; it helps me improve.**

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She shuddered as the cold winter wind whipped at her, blowing the hood of her cloak down and revealing pink strands of hair to the frosty breeze. With a satchel slung over her left shoulder, she hurried forward, pulling the hood back over her head, hoping her telltale rosy hair hadn't been noticed.

"Sakura?!" She pretended not to hear.

"Sakura, is that you?" Naruto ran through the village gates after her. She knew she couldn't continue to ignore him so she stopped.

"Where are you going? It feels like I haven't seen you in months." He breathed, catching up to her.

"I don't really know where I'm going yet..." She answered honestly, not turning to look at him. "A vacation of sorts, I guess."

Naruto's brow furrowed. He knew that she hadn't quite been herself since the end of the war and the departure of Sasuke. Whereas Naruto was just relieved to know that Sasuke had finally abandoned his mission of destruction and was once again his ally and a shinobi of the Leaf Village, despite his absence, Sakura still harbored some resentment towards his indifference to her. While the two had lain there for hours on the verge of death at the Valley of the End, bleeding profusely from their severed limbs, Sasuke had confided in Naruto. Sasuke recognized him as his family, his friend, and as someone who was able to overcome the struggles he faced, prompting others to follow his way. Sakura received no such recognition from him, when she too had fought tirelessly for years to save Sasuke from the dark path he had chosen. No explanation, just a muffled apology. Naruto understood the hurt she felt and knew he couldn't stop her.

He sighed, realizing he must let her go. "Sakura..."

She turned but before she could respond, Naruto wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Her emerald eyes widened from the unexpected affection, but she returned it, placing her free hand on the back of his head and nestling her face into his chest.

"I won't stop you." Naruto continued, holding her tight. "I understand if you need time to heal. Just please promise me you will be careful."

"I promise." She mumbled into his shoulder. "I'll see you when I get back." Not sure yet whether that was a lie, she broke the embrace and continued down the road, refusing to look back.

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows on the snow. She had walked for nearly a whole day, lost in her thoughts, before she realized she still had no idea where she was going. It did feel good, she admitted, to just wander with no real destination, no responsibility.

Sakura gazed up towards the setting sun, trying to pinpoint her location. She knew she was heading south when she left Konoha, but since, her path had taken her West, towards the Land of Rivers. Soon, she recognized, she would have to find a suitable place to rest for the night. Resolving to stay alone outside, she set her things up on a low hanging branch of a tree that stood on the edge of a large forest. As she drifted into slumber, she wondered what this journey would bring her. Would it be happiness? Knowledge? Enlightenment?

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"Thank you, Sakura-chan! I wish you the best of luck on your continued journey! I shall not forget your strength and kindness!" An old man called from the door of the shrine, waving the kunoichi off.

Smiling, she turned to wave back, "And I yours, Master Okakura!" Sakura yelled back. "I am truly thankful for all you have taught me!"

Four months had now passed since Sakura's departure from Konohagakure. She sighed deeply, inhaling a breath of fresh spring air, fragrant with the scent of flowers and growing grass. The last six weeks had been exhausting. Much of her journey before arriving in the Land of Mountains was quiet and full of self-reflection. She had travelled through the Land of Rivers, helping small villages prepare their farmlands for the next growing season. Sakura had then ventured through the Land of Wind, stopping by in Sunagakure to visit Gaara. Her journey lead her north after hearing about a group of bandits who were kidnapping children from small villages in the northern reaches of the Land of Wind. By the time she had arrived, the bandits were long gone but the villages they had raided were still in shambles. She spent a couple weeks helping villagers to repair the damages to houses and shrines. During this time, she had encountered an old monk and ex-shinobi of Sunagakure, who introduced himself as Okakura. He had immediately recognized Sakura's precise control of her chakra, comparing her to a young Tsunade whom he had witnessed at the chunin exams years ago when he was a teacher in Sunagakure.

 _"I remember watching her fight in the third round of the exams, when my team had already been disqualified," he had confided in Sakura. "And I longed to have someone like that to train in my earth technique. I am an old man now and my days are numbered. My chakra is dwindling and this may be my last chance to pass on my knowledge..." at which point, he had looked up at her longingly. "Please, would you do me the honor of becoming my last student... my legacy?"_

At the time, Sakura was not entirely sure what she was agreeing to. But she did so anyways, for who was she to deny an old man his last request? Little did she know at the time, this technique was a near perfect addition to her skills and abilities, being largely based on ones mastery of chakra control. Thus, her last six weeks had been spent at the shrine, training under whom she now referred to as Master Okakura.

She smiled, fondly remembering the very start of her training under Master Okakura, which had mostly consisted of her sweeping the shrine and weeding the surrounding gardens. They would sip tea at night under the stars and have long discussions about their pasts. He would tell her of his time as a shinobi, of the loss of his comrades, and of his final decision to resign to a life of service to the Gods. She had told him about her parents, about team 7, about her training with Tsunade, about Naruto, and about Sasuke. In fact, Sakura realized, Okakura was the only person she had been able to speak to openly since before the Fourth Shinobi War. He had not judged her for loving Sasuke, regardless of his crimes, saying only "Even though the seasons change, this feeling will remain the same. Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met."

Although this sentiment had saddened Sakura, the realization that she would never be able to truly forget Sasuke, she knew the old monk spoke truth. She would never forget him, she would never stop loving him. However, with time, the wounds he had caused her would heal and she would learn to be happy on her own.

Sakura suddenly stopped. Having been lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed. She could vaguely sense someone else's chakra, despite being alone on the road. There was someone in the near vicinity masking their chakra from her, but for what purpose? Skeptical of this shinobi's motives, Sakura decided now was the perfect opportunity to try out some of the techniques that Okakura had first taught her.

She dropped her satchel to the ground and bent down, placing her open palm on the dirt of the road. Her chakra spread out through the surface of the ground in all directions around her, searching for the exact location of this person. They were about 50 yards behind her, standing in the woods. Upon finding the source of chakra, she concentrated all of her energy to the ground under their feet. As Sakura made the hand signal, the ground below her target's feet softened immediately as her chakra changed its composition to that of quicksand. Trees in the area began to buckle as their roots sank deep into the ground. Before they could react, her target was thigh deep in her trap. Releasing the technique, the quicksand turned back to rock and dirt, capturing Sakura's target in the ground. She turned and ran to the location, determined to identify the shinobi and discover their motive. Who was this person?

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 **Hope you enjoyed! I have half of the next chapter written already, so expect it soon! And again, thank you so much for reading my ramblings!**


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